Here are companies set to take Kentucky sports wagers in September
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Tuesday announced which horse racing tracks will be licensed to operate sports betting facilities and take in-person bets in two weeks, as well as which companies will be licensed to take online bets later in September.
The actions by the regulatory commission move Kentucky closer to allowing legal and taxed wagering on sporting contests, including pro and college games, after the state legislature passed a law in this year's session
Approved facility operators can take in-person sports wagers starting Sept. 7, with approved mobile applications able to begin taking such wagers Sept. 28. Per the new state law, an excise tax of 9.75% will be placed on in-person bets, with a 14.25% tax rate for online wagers.
The seven horse racing track operators approved as licensed sports betting facilities are:
- Churchill Downs, Louisville
- Cumberland Run (ECL Corbin LLC), Corbin and Williamsburg facilities
- Ellis Park (Ellis Entertainment LLC), Henderson
- The Red Mile (Lexington Trots Breeders Association LLC), Lexington
- Sandy's Gaming and Racing (Revolutionary Racing Kentucky LLC), Ashland (not yet open)
- Turfway Park, Florence
- Oak Grove Gaming and Racing (WKY Development), Oak Grove
The commission members unanimously approved a temporary license for each of the seven companies to be sports betting retail operators, with the commission able to later convert those to annual licenses.
Under the new law, only the state's licensed horse racing track operators are permitted to apply to be a licensed sports betting facility operator — which requires a $500,000 fee — with betting allowed there and on the licensed websites and phone apps of the companies with which they partner. Each facility operator is able to partner with up to three companies for retail and online betting.
A press release from the Horse Racing Commission added that some additional historical horse racing satellite facilities of Churchill Downs are approved for in-person sports betting, including one in Newport, two more of its Derby City Gaming facilities in Louisville and a proposed Ellis Park facility in Owensboro.
The commission members also approved the following companies for a temporary license to be a mobile or retail wagering service provider in partnerships with approved tracks:
- American Wagering Inc. (Caesars), partnering with Red Mile for retail and mobile services;
- Sports Information Services (Kambi), partnering with Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Turfway Park and Oak Grove for retail services;
- FanDuel, partnering with Turfway Park for mobile services;
- DraftKings, partnering with Cumberland Run for retail and mobile services;
- Penn Sports Interactive, partnering with Ellis Park for mobile services;
- BetMGM, partnering with Sandy's Gaming and Racing on retail and mobile services;
- Circa, partnering with Cumberland Run for mobile services;
- Fanatics, partnering with Oak Grove for mobile services;
- Bet365, partnering with Sandy's Gaming and Racing for mobile services.
While Churchill Downs does not have a partnership with a company for mobile services, the company has long operated mobile sports betting services in other states with its TwinSpires app.
Additional regulations on sports betting were by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and Gov. Andy Beshear in July, including measures to ensure children don’t wager (only those ages 18 or older are legally allowed to bet), protect confidentiality, prevent money laundering and encourage responsible gaming.
While online wagering does not begin until Sept. 28, Kentuckians can pre-register an account with approved mobile applications starting Aug. 28 and can begin depositing money onto that account on Sept. 7.
Beshear, in a press release Tuesday, thanked the commissioners "for their dedication to getting this done right and getting it done in time for the opening of the NFL season," noting that retail locations will be open in 16 days.
“We are excited to open sports wagering on our target date as we continue working through this careful process dedicated to wagering integrity and protecting bettors in the state of Kentucky,” stated KHRC chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz in the press release.
There is still uncertainty on which of the approved tracks will be open for business to take in-person bets on Sept. 7.
In a statement last month, Churchill Downs said it "continues to move forward with ongoing efforts to make sports wagering available at our established racing and gaming facilities throughout Kentucky, and we will share updates as plans are finalized.
"We are excited for the opportunities sports betting brings for tourism and economic development across the Commonwealth and for the chance to welcome new guests into our entertainment venues to also wager on live and historical racing, which will further strengthen our state’s signature equine industry," the statement said.
The Red Mile announced in May that it had partnered with Caesars Sportsbook to offer wagering once regulations were approved. Its current gaming and racing complex is home to more than 950 historical horse racing machines, resembling slot machines.
Churchill Downs also has one Derby City Gaming facility in Louisville that houses HHR machines and another one opening soon downtown, as well as the Newport Racing and Gaming facility in northern Kentucky. The website for the Newport location says it will be open for sports betting Sept. 7.
